Coupled. Your Place or Mine?

Hello lovely CC readers! It’s been a while but I am so happy to introduce you to a new Coupled couple: myself and my boyfriend of 2.5 years, David.

By Kari

David and I met through mutual friends my freshman (his junior) year at Florida State. In a very rare instance of a hook-up gone marvelously right, I found my soul mate (sorry, I will try to minimize the cheesiness). Yes, we’re young, and yep, we’re in love and you best believe that I’ll chronicle the details of our (highly un-glamorous) relationship for you to read, commiserate with, make fun of, or whatever floats your boat. Maybe I’ll even convert some of the non-believers.

Last week I arrived home from a long semester of stressful classes, crazy busy sorority officer responsibilities, and some semblance of a poppin’ social life. I was thrilled to be home and free from the hectic world of a college woman, but I was (and still am) most excited about the prospect of spending an entire, almost uninterrupted, 3 months with David. He graduated last December, and while we survived our first semester of LDR, the bi-weekly 6-hour trips to visit each other were wearing on both our cars’ mileage and our nerves. Moving back to our mutual home sweet hometown, and in with him, has been the light at the end of the tunnel for me over the last four months, and now it’s finally here.

My bliss bubble popped when it came time to unpack. While David’s lack of drawers may seem like a practical space saver to him, it presents a challenge to me and several dozen members of my wardrobe. His closet is already fully stocked, ditto with the bathroom cabinet and desk drawers. So I took the next logical step and unloaded the vast majority of my crap from school at my parents’ house (they live a few blocks away). I’ve got a modest amount of stuff at his house, which is where we’re living, but I still have most of my things at my parents’.

For some reason I feel so divided and unsettled. When David still lived in Tallahassee we always had separate places, and we both just kept a set o’ whatever we’d need at the other’s apartment. I was used to alternating where we stayed, and used to being a lot more flexible with my fashion choices – you can’t wear it if it ain’t there! I guess after spending a semester living without my dream roomie (still working on the cheesiness) I got used to having everything in one place, and feeling a sense of completeness; it felt good to know that every single thing in my room had its own place – not a spot stolen from his baseball card collection or old guitar.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to be home with David, but maybe I’m craving my own independence via the shoes I’m missing. Maybe I just really wish we had a shared space that was equally ours, but we’ve solidly agreed we’re not moving in together until after I graduate next Spring. Either way, what do I do? Should I conduct a massive cleaning and take a few trips to Goodwill to squeeze my stuff in here? Or should I make do and just keep the rest of my stuff – and a little slice of my own space – at my Mom and Dad’s?

Do any of you live with your significant other? How do you deal with each other’s stuff?